Development of polyvinylpyrrolidone, inorganic nanoparticles, and lithium carbonate nanostructured systems

Abstract Nanocomposites with inorganic nanofillers spread in a polymer matrix have been used for the development of pharmaceutical systems to treat mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and Alzheimer's disease. In this study, nanostructured particles using a solution intercalation technique combined with a spray‐drying process using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), montmorillonite, titanium dioxide, and lithium carbonate, with the aim of designing a new drug delivery system. XRD and low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance analyses showed that PVP/MMT 1% achieved an intercalated/exfoliated morphology. However, the incorporation of TiO 2 nanoparticles into the PVP matrix did not affect its structure, indicating that there was not a strong interaction between the polymer and the TiO 2 nanoparticles. Thermal analysis did not reveal any changes in the nanocomposites compared to the pure polymer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed a pseudo‐spherical shape, and SEM‐energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectrometry (EDS) confirmed the dispersion of MMT in the PVP matrix. The introduction of lithium carbonate into the PVP/MMT matrix created a new system with higher molecular mobility; the drug introduction increased the mean droplet size, and the zeta potential remained negative. Overall, the results indicate that the applied methodology can produce a new nanostructured particle as a drug delivery system.